He came over very high up, and I zoomed him on the wrong camera setting.
It is a Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), and his dive is the fastest of all the birds in the world.
I have 3 shots of the falcon, and a juvenile Harrier Hawk also arrived.
The Peregrine is one of my personal favorites, and I have done quite a few posts of them over the years. Strong flyers that can also hover miles up in the sky in search of prey. They have a terrific eyesight and can see even the smallest of mice down below, but it is their dive that fascinates me, as he can dive from high at a tremendous speed to strike the prey below.
The Harrier Hawk is quite a different hunter, as they can climb trees from the ground up. The adult is grey, and I have recently posted one, but this time around I will show you what the juvenile looks like. I prefer the younger hawks as they have beautiful colors to go with a great attitude. Not scared of me, even when I slowly walk up to them as they know that I cannot get at them.
So, come and have a look.
Now, let's have a look at the juvenile Harrier Hawk (Polyboroides typus).
Like I said, the young hawks look very different from the adult, and this guy looked at me as I approached him. He knows that I cannot reach him because he is high up on the streetlamp.
Beautiful, isn't he, as the wind lifts his feathers?
Yip! It was a cold morning, and he fluffed to pull a trick on that lamppost.
He jumped back to land on the pole with his one foot.
And then he searched the back of the light cover for a nest.
We are blessed with many birds of prey over here, and it is great to watch them, but in all honesty, not so great when we see them with a catch. Normally little birds and once we also saw one with a tiny baby squirrel in its claws. My wife actually shed a tear on that occasion. So, she doesn't like the predator birds so much, as they might come to catch the little laughing doves that come to eat here in our garden every day.
Predator birds control the bird populations, and that's just the way that nature works. Whenever they eat a bird, scraps are left behind for other birds to eat, and the pieces that fall to the ground feed the insects. Nothing in nature is wasted. And it is so designed for the continuation of the ecosystem. I have still not had a chance to go and look at the African Fish Eagle's nest, but hopefully it will be soon.
Such is life.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the story.
Photos by Zac Smith. All-Rights-Reserved.
Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.
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What a beautiful bird! I love Peregrine falcons a lot myself. Sadly, here in Orange County we don't get birds of prey very often, unless you head out to the mountains out west. That's why I have always loved visited Wyoming in summertime, so many birds of prey to see!
You're right, they control the populations of other birds and rodents. It's just how nature works, and nothing goes to waste. In the end even we end up turning to dust, but most people aren't left out for the vultures thanks goodness! It's just how life works in this world, like it or not.
Excellent pictures as always, they really are majestic birds!
Oh yes, the peregrines are great birds, and to see one hovering up high, and then folding its wings into a dive is exhilarating. They clock more than 300kph in their dives. Wyoming sounds very interesting :)
I cannot imagine what a ruckus it would stir up if people were to be laid out for the vultures to eat. Just glad to know that it will never happen.
Such is life!
Thank you for the compliment.
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